The Spirit of Chihiro
by sequoiacole
Summary: Six years after returning to her own world, Chihiro begins having dreams about a strange place filled with impossibilities and people whom she knows, but can't remember. Her entire family's memories have been wiped clean of the six months they spent missing, and Chihiro's search for the truth begins! T for language.


"Mom I'm not lying! Why don't you believe me?" She wailed, tears ran down her face in frustration.

"Chihiro are you sure you aren't just making this up?" She stared defiantly into her mother's eyes.

"Yuuko what's going on in there?" Her father called from his spot on the sofa.

"Akio I think you should come in here. Chihiro is having...an episode."

She glared at the woman whose eyes were filled with fear. She had thought that if anyone would believe her story, it would be them.

"What do you mean?" He came into view and sat down next to Yuuko at the table. Chihiro stood in front of them, her hands balled up into fists, "Chihiro what's going on?"

"Do you remember that time six years ago? When we first moved here?" She stared down at the floor, wringing her hands in front of her.

"Yes I remember honey."

"Do you remember how when we got to our house people kept telling us that we had been missing six months?"

"Of course I do. It was a strange time."

"I think I...know what happened to us." Her face flushed, knowing that what she was about to say was going to sound crazy.

"Well tell us what you think. We haven't had any clues since then. The authorities weren't much help either. It's still a big mystery" She gazed at her father's calm face. He smiled and urged her to continue.

"Well, lately I've been having strange dreams. I see faces that don't look real and I watch people performing magic. I see talking frogs and a mask and a white dragon. For some reason when I'm dreaming I know who these people are and I'm able to name them...but when I wake up the only name that I remember is Granny. For some reason, I remember that she made this for me." She held up her arm where the shining purple hair tie hung limply around her wrist. Through the years it had been her most prized possession, and after it stopped holding back her hair she wore it as a bracelet. She didn't feel whole without it on.

"I took it to a psychic the other day and she told me that it came from the spirit world. She said that there is a powerful spell on it that would always protect me and...well I believe her. When I told her about my dreams and described to her the people and the places she said that I had either been visited by divine spirits or I had been there myself." Her eyes were wild as she spoke.

The corners of her father's mouth had slowly begun to turn downward as she continued to speak.

"And also, I-"

"Chihiro stop." Akio stood from his chair and glowered down at his daughter, "How much money did you give to this psychic?"

She flinched at his harsh tone, "Dad that doesn't matter! Don't you see? I can find out what happened!"

"Chihiro answer your father's question." Yuuko's arms were crossed in front of her and her expression mirrored Akio's.

She sighed and prepared herself, "Around 25,000 yen."

"25,000 yen?!" He huffed and his hands shot up to his scalp, "Dammit Chihiro I thought you were smarter than that! She swindled you! Your dreams don't mean a damn thing and that bracelet was made by a friend as a going away present wasn't it? Where did you even get that kind of money?"

Chihiro was frozen. She didn't know how to respond. She knew for a fact that the bracelet had not been a going away present and that her parents were afraid of what she had to say.

"I've been saving up dad! Besides how do you know that what she said isn't true? I _remember _dad I know I do I just have to think harder! I'll prove it to you! I'll-"

"CHIHIRO ENOUGH!" His voiced boomed through the house. He was done listening, "Nothing like that is possible. We just have to accept that there is a gap in our memories and that is how it will always be. I don't want to hear about this anymore and I don't want you spending anymore money on a useless psychic. Am I understood?"

Tears were renewed in her eyes and she spun away from them. She ran to her room and slammed the door shut.

They sighed as soon as they couldn't hear her screaming into her pillow anymore.

Akio slumped back down into his seat while Yuuko prepared some tea.

"What made her think that something so impossible could have happened to us..." Yuuko stared into the water as the tea leaves changed its color.

"I don't know...but truth be told I've been having strange dreams too." Akio held his face in his big hand, not wanting to see his wife's expression

"What happens in yours?" She poured two cups and carried them over to the table.

"I'm a pig in a pig pen and Chihiro is looking at me crying but I don't know what she's saying. It's always the same." He sipped his drink, letting it calm his senses.

"I've had that dream as well." She mimicked his actions, hoping that the warm drink would take the sudden chill from the air that hung heavily between them.

They gazed at each other, worry on their faces.

"Do you think she'll be okay?" Yuuko glanced down the hall at her door.

"She'll be fine. She just needs to get past this in her own way."

They finished their drinks and made their way to bed. In their minds Chihiro was just upset, and she would come to her senses soon, she just needed time. They all did.

* * *

Chihiro waited until the house was quiet before opening her window and escaping into the night.

_If they don't believe me I'm just going to have to find proof._

She had packed a bag full of provisions earlier, just in case this happened and she needed to leave. She swung it over her shoulder, took a deep breath, and began her descent down the grassy hill that was just beyond her backyard. As the grass tickled her ankles, she steeled herself for a long journey. The answers were out there and calling her name. She _would _find them. Her instincts directed her footsteps, and she could do nothing but submit to the wind that carried her onward.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**Hey y'all!**

**So I just finished watching Spirited Away for the billionth time and well what can I say, I was inspired. I am basing this off of the assumption that they don't remember anything that happened to them. Normally humans memories would be wiped clean for good after a visit to the Spirit World, but for some reason, Chihiro and her parents are exceptions. **

**Also just to put it into perspective, 25,000 yen is around 250 bucks. Imagine if you spent that much on a psychic. I don't know about y'all but my parents would be pissed XD.**

**Thanks for reading! Please let me know what you think :).**

**Kay, bye! **


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